We Live Again: 13 Promises
by Cosmina Inspira
Summary: Promises are made, fulfilled, are broken or empty. Angela tries to comfort her lifemate's spirits as she also wonders about her missing mother, while Elisa and Goliath must make an important choice and over come personal stubbornness as Xanatos keeps another promise, and Elisa meets the last person from her past she never wanted to see again.
1. Chapter 1

We Live Again

Episode 13: Promises

By Cosmic Inspiration

Disclaimer: The Gargoyles Animated series, including the Goliath Chronicles, is the property of the Walt Disney Company and its affiliate Buena Vista Animation. The Characters of Sata, Graeme, Ariana and the mentions of Dr. Goldblum and Phoenix Rising are from TGS. No copyright infringement is intended here nor authorized by the copyholders, the TGS staff gives consent to use their characters for other fan fiction with the condition of acknowledgement. This writer makes no profit from these stories and only writes for fun and entertainment. All original characters are the property of the author Cosmic Inspiration and may not be used with my consent.

Author's note: The events of this story begin two nights after 12\. Bronx's Rumble in the Bronx, late February 2000.

Previously on Gargoyles. . .

"I was raised by humans," Angela said tearfully, "There's no reason why we can't all live in harmony."

"Don't worry," Broadway reassured her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "It won't always be this way."

"Are you sure?"

"I know it."

They kissed passionately.

(Canon) The Journey

Scene of an injured Broadway shooting in WLA episode Collateral.

"As of this moment, Dr. Grey, your services are no longer required and I must terminated your employment." Xanatos to Dr. Emily Grey.

(TGS) Unions

"How were you able to tolerate Teacher's mood swings, Hudson?" Goliath asked with a hint of desperation.

"I did just that, Lad, I tolerated it for as long as it lasted. No matter how wrathful a child heavy female may be towards her mate, as long as she knows you're there for her to comfort her and show you love her, then you see that your little spats were nothing," Hudson said with a smug smile.

(WLA) Wisdom

OOoooOO

A crisp late afternoon light bathed the office of corporate industrialist David Xanatos in a golden warmth which radiated with a serenity as ethereal beams twinkled and glistened on scattered patches of ice cold snow still clinging to Winter's hold out amongst the cityscape, yet held a faint promise of the coming of Spring.

For several months now he had reviewed and studied maybe hundreds of resumes of possible candidates for highly expected qualifications to be the Gargoyle clan's new human physician, but David Xanatos also looked for something more in terms of personal reputation, and even the smallest detail told him volumes about an individual. He had to be sure they had no Quarrymen like views that would prove harmful to his home's guardians, which would also in turn endanger his family; and he had to be sure they were not spies for a certain worldly organization as had been his previously employed physician.

As he set aside another resume of a would be candidate, he reviewed a small stack of the most promising candidates he had come across. A total of five possibilities had been narrowed down from many hundreds more, but only one had stood out for him. The possible hire was fairly young, but already he had gained great experience and had a couple of excellent references, one of which Xanatos already knew professionally.

He played around with the thought of calling him for an interview in his head for a few moments, yet knew he needed the final approval from the clan's leader first.

****Sunset

As the blanket of night's shadow steadily spread from the East over the damp stones of Castle Wyvern, spider webs of rocky cracks spread over the Gothic statues of creatures once thought to only exist in the darkest corners of the imagination, to then burst forth in a spectacular scene in simultaneous fashion to roar waking greetings to the renewed time of night following day.

Fearsome mighty roars of distinct voices were given as they broke free from their stone shells and began heartily greeting each other and the new night.

The lavender colored dark haired female named Angela looked about herself as couples embraced lovingly to each other; on the tallest parapet above, her father Goliath was out of sight but could be heard greeting with a smile his human lifemate, Elisa; to her left she saw Brooklyn greeting his deep jade green lifemate, Sata, and their two energetic twins; while below in the Court Yard, Othello and Desdemona walked hand in hand to the Great Hall for the evening meal.

Looking to her right, Angela gave a warm smile to her own aqua colored lifemate, Broadway, who only returned it half-heartily as he stepped down from his cornice.

"Good evening, My Love," she lilted as she embraced him with a slender arm, "How are we fairing tonight? Do you want to come gliding with me?"

Broadway just gave a pitiful half smile as he mumbled, "Maybe later, Angela, I got to go make breakfast for everybody. You know how cranky Hudson gets without his evening tea. I'll see you later."

He walked out of Angela's embrace with a limp in his step, leaving Angela with a perplexed look on her lovely face.

For at least three weeks now, Broadway had been acting depressed and withdrawn, ever since that night of fighting off members of warring crime factions. He hardly talked to anybody about it, often made excuses to not go on patrols, or would even become undependable on patrols.

What Angela was going to do with him, she did not know, yet she tried all she could to cheer him up and bring him out of his slump. All he has wanted to do was stay at the castle and cook elaborate meals or watch the TV with Hudson and Bronx. He'd even lost interest in reading wondrous books about far off lands, mysteries, or even poetry to her.

Angela had to do something, one way or another she was going to help her lifemate. She just needed the right sort of advise.

In another tower of the castle which had once served as the court Archmage's private study, it now served as the private study and occasional personal sanctuary for Angela and her continuing studies in magic. Though it was not very elaborate or as exquisitely decorated as the study of even the most skilled wizards, it was comfortable nonetheless in its simplicity.

Being sparsely furnished with a desk and chair, couch, an alter, and separate shelves for magic books and scrolls, or a few herbs and stones; most of which were gifts from her mother, Angela always had simple tastes. At the moment, she sat at her office desk quietly reading one of the magic books from her mother, all of which had once been kept secretly in the castle library, but now had a special place in her personal collection.

In the weeks following the announcement of Elisa's pregnancy, she had asked her stepdaughter/younger sister role model to do some research about any form of magic making it possible.

So far Angela had come up with nothing from the books she had. Or it may also have been she was not really paying attention because her mind kept wandering to other things, such as Broadway and his brooding behavior of late, or her magic studies also reminded her about her mother, Demona, and she wondered about her whereabouts at the moment.

One thing she knew about Demona was that when she did not want to be found, she was very good at it. Yet surely she would have contacted her own daughter by now, if just to let her know she was fine. The clan was aware she had returned to New York, Othello claimed to have seen her battling an unknown gargoyle, but that was shortly before Christmas.

Where Demona was now, no one knew.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft chime of an 18th century German made clock upon her wall which showed the time to be 11:30pm. By now some of the clan was returning from the first patrols of the night, and Angela was to be among the teams for the night's second patrol shift.

She set aside her book for now and made her way to the parapets to meet with the returning clan members, among whom was Broadway landing with Brooklyn, his patrol partner, and limply caped his wings. She ran up to him to give him a warm greeting but he just walked by with barely a second glance to Angela with a brooding expression. As Angela watched him walk passed her with a hurt look, she was barely aware of Sata's approach.

"It's very troubling, Angela-chan," she said, "that Broadway-san allows himself to continue dwelling on a past mistake and allowing it to distract him from his duties to the clan when they need him foremost."

"I've given him as much time as I could to let him get over it and talk to me when he's ready, Sata," Angela said, "But it's like he's dead inside so much he's forgotten I even exist. I don't know how else to help him."

"He will need more than just your love and patience, Angela-chan," Sata said as she placed a hand on her younger rookery sister's shoulder, "He is going to need your strength now more than ever. It's one thing I've learned about stubborn males is that sometimes they need to have their tails twisted by an even more stubborn female."

Angela gave a small chuckle as they glanced at a somewhat brooding Brooklyn, who now struggled with his own personal issues about being a second in command. Sata really had been a strong influence in him, yet Angela still remembered how he was when she first met him; charismatic, quick witted, swashbuckling, and charming, but also really brash and a big show off as he tried to impress her and win her as his own over his brothers. Though he was still all that, timedancing with a lifemate and two hatchlings greatly matured him and he now came into his own, though he chose to remain second in command. If he had not gone timedancing, he may well have chosen one of her more warrior driven rookery sisters on Avalon, and in some ways Brooklyn had reminded her of her adventurous rookery brother, Metatron.

But it was Broadway who had won her heart with his patience, respectfulness, humor, and intelligence compared with Brooklyn's brash impulsiveness at times and need to rush things. He saw her more as a person with hopes, dreams, and interests rather than just a single available female that had to be won as a prize for personal status.

"Thanks, Sata," she said, "But I'm going to give Broadway a little more time to sort this out and let him talk to me about it when he's ready."

Sata gave a small nod as she left to join her rusty colored lifemate and their healed kids.

Angela was assigned with Lexington as patrol partners for the last half of the night and were to patrol a part of upper Manhattan known to be 'Dracon territory.' It was at this moment Owen stiffly approach Goliath and said Xanatos wished to speak with him, Ms. Maza, and Ms. Yin.

Angela quietly watched the three who were summoned make their way to Xanatos' office, wondering what their human host needed to see them for. She also reminded herself to ask them later on, and after patrol to talk with Yin about Broadway.

While the next half of the clan went on the second patrol shift of the night, Goliath, Elisa, and Yin went to Xanatos' office, seeing something of his famous arrogant smile and twinkle in his dark eyes as he saw them enter.

"Thanks for meeting with me, everyone," he said, "For once, I may have some promising news. As you know, I had the unfortunate privilege of letting go Dr. Grey as the clan's physician several months ago, and since then I've searched for a proper replacement."

Nods were given as Xanatos activated the office screen to show four of the five possible candidates he had selected and told of their credentials as well as reasons for consideration or not. He soon came to the final candidate with a tone like hope or impressiveness in his voice.

"Dr. Koji Yoshiba, MD in both heart and brain surgery, 24 and already among the highest recommended medical practitioners on the East Coast. Earned his license and PhD from Columbia at only 16. I've already done a thorough background check and he has recommendations from our own Dr. Goldblum and one Dr. Sato at Manhattan General."

"He sounds almost too good to be true," Elisa said skeptically, "What makes you so sure he can be trusted?"

"If recommendations weren't enough for you, Detective," Xanatos said, "he also has a certificate in veterinary medicine, and on occasion is known to overlap his practices and give rather unorthodox methods that made excellent and promising results. He's also a biological evolutionary theorist, has written articles for medical and science research magazines, including National Geographic, about the anatomy and evolution of the human brain and proposed theories of other intelligent races evolving before the human race. But for the cherry on top, Detective, his grandfather was a World War II Imperial Navy doctor purported to be from Ishimura."

The three of them looked at each other, Yin then demurely said, "The human village where gargoyles live with them."

A small tone of discomfort came from her voice, for she was still not yet used to speaking up when not first being spoken to.

"Exactly, Ms. Yin," Xanatos said with a smirk, "But unlike with Dr. Grey I'm leaving the final decision completely up to you, Goliath, all I have to do is the final interview and grant the necessary security clearance once your final decision is made."

Goliath gave a serious look at the young Dr. Yoshiba's portrait upon the screen as though in consideration.

The three of them remained silent as a thick tension permeated the air, until Xanatos finally said a pregnant minute later,

"I'll leave the three of you to discuss it over."

Once Xanatos left the office, Elisa said, "I know he's helped out the clan a lot in the last several years, but I'd be careful about anything that man offers."

"I understand your need to be cautious, Elisa," Goliath said, "but Xanatos has shown no reason to deceive us, especially with a physician that would mean you harm. If he did, he knows I won't hesitate to twist his head off."

Elisa gave a small smile to her lifemate's remark, then said, "I just know that when he offers something there's always something to be in it for him. There are days I'm not fully convinced he's reformed."

"I understand no one can completely change their nature, My Love, and I remain wary of Xanatos every day since we were nearly fooled by his fabricated betrayal by Phoenix Rising. However, he has provided the Labyrinth Clan with Dr. Goldblum and continues to protect my clan during the day."

"But who watches _him_ during the day? And the issue of Dr. Goldblum was different and it's besides the point. If he hires someone to touch and prod me and my baby, I'll do worse than twist his head off if it's another Sevarius."

Goliath could only give a frowning look as Elisa seemed to begin another of her mood swings. Though he knew it was something he will have to tolerate over the next several long months, he just wished he knew how to better curb them. She was still being a trifle difficult with moving into the castle, even though her newly refurbished chambers were right near the gargoyles, while the Xanatos family apartments were well on the other side. On top of that were continuous occasional spats with his lifemate and his chauvinistic treatment of her since becoming pregnant.

Bracing himself for another of those spats, with only the demur Kwan Yin as a witness, Goliath said, "I could have Xanatos conduct his interview and record it, My Love, then decide if this Dr. Yoshiba is trustworthy of being the clan's doctor."

Elisa just scoffed as she said, "I don't see why we don't just stick with Yin here" Quiet Yin gave a surprised look at the mention of her name "She's doing a really good job with me and the clan so far."

"She is indeed, Elisa," Goliath tried to say with a controlled growl, "I just feel having a human doctor will help bring balance, your well being and our child's is more important to me than anything, and despite all of Yin's talents, she has little knowledge of human medicine."

"Maybe you're not giving her enough of a chance, she may lack experience but Yin's been a Godsend for us. Or are you seeing her as an excuse to take out your animosity with her clan's leader when Li Shen tried to make amends for it?"

"I am doing no such thing," Goliath said with a controlled growl, "I am merely trying to make the right choice for what is best for you, for us both. Why reject what Xanatos is offering, you did not hesitate when he found a geneticist to try curing Talon and the others."

"Like I said, that was different," Elisa almost yelled, "And when did you start taking Xanatos' side? You never did before, you should be more suspicious right now than me."

"I am taking no one's side!" Goliath growled and nearly yelled as his great thunder cloud wings flared to their full length in reflex from his growing temper.

Yin took a couple of steps back at Goliath's outburst, but Elisa did not even flinch before him as she held her ground with glaring eyes.

Goliath took a deep calming breath as he tried to compose himself and recapped his wings. He was about to apologize just as Elisa's cell phone rang.

"Maza," she said as she opened to cell phone, "It's my night off. . . It's that serious? . . . Okay, I'll be there, but I have other things to take care of the rest of the night."

Putting her phone away she said to Goliath in a serious tone, "I got to go down to the station, we'll talk about this when I get back."

She left Xanatos' office with a winded Goliath and silent Yin behind watching after her.

Moments after she left, Goliath calmly said to Yin, "I apologize, I didn't intend for you to be placed in the middle of this. Elisa can be most difficult sometimes."

"It is understandable, clan leader," she said quietly.

Goliath gave Yin an ever stoic look as he said, "I bare you no hostility, Yin, and your healing skills have been invaluable for my clan thus far. However, Elisa is still human and requires the knowledge of a human healer should her pregnancy prove life threatening to her and our unborn child, and I am only trying to have her understand that."

"I understand, clan leader," Yin said, "It is a delicate balance you are only trying to preserve."

Goliath crossed his brawny arms over his barreled chest for a moment in deep thought. A long minute passed before he finally said to Yin,

"In a sense, you are right, Yin. I shall have Xanatos conduct his interview with this Dr. Yoshiba, even if I must incur Elisa's wrath."

The light jade green beaked Chinese gargoyle only remained silent as she raised a brow ridge.


	2. Chapter 2

****23rd Precinct

Elisa entered her office precinct with a hardness in her step, fuming at the frustrating inconvenience at having to come in on her night off and right in the middle of an important discussion with Goliath, who was being incredibly stubborn again and who had the very nerve to compare this strange doctor with Daniel Goldblum, even though he too is on Xanatos' payroll.

It made her steam her own lifemate was siding with someone who had been a sworn enemy once and only wanted to exploit the clan for his own ends, and who is to say he wasn't doing it now even though he claimed a truce with no strings attached. She could only steam even more as she wondered what was so important that Matt had called her to only tell her it had to do with the warring crime syndicates, though she was not to be on any official cases or return to investigative duty for almost a year.

As she made her way through the police bulletin to Captain Chavez's office, she was unsurprisingly intercepted by the young and greener than grass rooky cop, Montoya.

"Hey, Elisa, it's great you're here, but I thought it was your night off," he said with giddiness.

"Technically, it still is, Rooky," she said, "But I just got called in for a quick meeting."

"So, uh. . . I get off at 3," Montoya stammered bashfully, "Do you, um, want to catch a late movie or . . ."

"Not now, Rooky." She just walked quickly past Randy in a hurry, and could sense his hurt piercing gaze in the back of her head. She hated treating the poor kid like that, but he needed to learn she was not interested, and more importantly she was a married woman.

Her mind momentarily wandered on the legal technicalities of that topic as she entered the Captain's office to find her, Bluestone, Morgan, Quinn, and one other who made her eyes go wide as saucers.

Standing near Chavez was a man over six feet tall, with a healthy muscular build beneath casual jeans, a blue denim shirt, and a sports jacket, neatly combed brown hair with mahogany highlights and parted on the left, a two o'clock shadow growing on his boyish youthful face, and stunning green eyes.

Elisa seemed to make a stunned exclamation as Chavez said, "Glad you're finally here, Maza, we may finally have something into this gang war that's spreading. Everyone, this is Detective Rayce Carlson, whom you may or may not know."

"Some of us better than others," Elisa mumble under her breath.

"Actually, it's lieutenant now, Captain," Carlson said.

"Right," Chavez said, "Anyway, as to why you're all here, Carlson came to me from the 31st to discuss the war operations within the Dracon mafia with the Yakuza and possibly other organized crime factions. Maza and Bluestone have been the most involved with Tony Dracon cases than any of my other officers, Quinn was recently undercover at that illegal strip club, and Morgan is unofficially representing the GTF."

"I've been undercover within Brando Dracon's inner circle for months," Carlson said, "And there's not much to tell yet, though I have been able to get a few interesting pieces of information. First off, there's no account yet of how or why this gang war started, police are getting conflicting info that the other side started it and the reasons aren't always clear. One thing that keeps coming up and I've been able to confirm is that there's someone calling himself the Overlord of the Underworld who acts like an informant as well as a ruthless disciplinarian when he wants to employ Dracon's people."

"Overlord o' the Underworld?" Quinn groaned with a laugh, "As if, how like tot'ly mega mondo lamo cheesy can ya get."

"The name may sound cheesy, officer," Carlson said with a dead serious tone, "But this is no lame Saturday morning cartoon villain. Virtually nothing is known about this guy's real identity or where he came from. He only communicates by proxy, encoded e-mail, or phone with an untraceable number. The only things known about this 'overlord' is he seemed to appear out of nowhere not long after the start of the gang war and he's brilliant, ruthless, and has money, lots of money. He's also dangerous, because his punishment methods are like something from the dark ages."

Elisa's ears seemed to pique at the last two words.

"A few of Brando's men failed on a botched mission for this guy, and the next day their heads were literally on pikes at Dracon's door. A serious warning, if I've ever seen one."

"Do you think this 'Overlord' is the new rumored crime boss in town?" Bluestone asked.

"It certainly seems that way more and more, Detective," Carlson said.

"Maza, you've had the most experience with Dracon and his thugs," Chavez said, "What can you tell us about Tony's status?"

"Last I saw," Elisa began, "Tony's still locked up in the clink and completely cut off from the 'family business' by his disappointed uncle. I don't think he'll be causing us trouble any time soon, I'd be more worried about the senior Dracon."

"And what about this Overlord?" Carlson asked.

Giving him a sharp glance Elisa said, "If he's as dangerous as you say, we need to find him quickly and bring him to justice."

"So why are we all being brought into this, Captain?" Morgan finally asked.

"As I said before, with your experience with Dracon," Chavez said, "And some of us have friends in high places who can help us with this case. But for the former reason it's why Carlson came to his old stomping grounds from the 31st. There are several officers undercover on both sides of the warring gangs and we're going to need all the help we can get.

"You know you can count on us, Rayce," she continued as she rose from her desk, "We have to end this street war before it threatens innocent lives. It's only unfortunate Elisa will have to be confined to a desk for the time being."

"Really, why?" Carlson asked intrigued, "She's always been the action woman on the streets."

"Captain." Elisa gave her superior officer a blazing look, which was returned with equality as Chavez said,

"Alright, people, you know your jobs, so let's get to work."

As they all began to leave Chavez's office, Matt glanced at his partner as Carlson said,

"Hey, Elis, can we talk?"

"Elisa," said Matt.

"Not now, partner, I'll see you later."

Matt left the captain's office with a stoic last look.

As the door closed behind Elisa, she turned to face Carlson with a mixed expression, not all of it friendly.

"It's been a long time, Elis, a good long time," he said.

"Long time no see, as the saying goes, Rayce," Elisa said, "Five years plus, it's been."

"You look great, Elis, and you haven't change a bit," Carlson said with a smile.

"Maybe I've changed more than you think."

"Not you, Elis, you were always so dedicated to the force, a hard as nails spitfire no street thug could take down. Listen, I know it didn't work out between us, but now I know breaking up with you was the worst mistake I ever made. But this could be a second chance for us, to start over with a clean slate. We could talk about it over coffee."

"That's nice of you, Rayce," Elisa said with a reserved sigh, but she remained serious, "And three or four years ago I might've taken up your offer, but I moved on a long time ago."

"You always did put your career before your feelings," Rayce sighed heavily, "Risking your own safety to protect innocent people, it's one of the things I loved about you. I know I came off a little over protective, but it was only because I cared and wanted you to be safe."

"More possessive than protective, Rayce, and you basically told me to give up being a cop in the first place and trade it for being in high heels and an apron."

Rayce looked down for just a moment, then continued, "I of all people should understand why we can't give it up, being out there we see it all, the good and the bad. So what do you say to that coffee?"

Elisa gave a small smile a she said, "I have to say no, Rayce, because as I said I moved on and I don't think my husband would appreciate my ex asking me out."

"Husband?!" Rayce exclaimed in surprise, "You, married? Wow, when? Any kids? Wow, Elis, I guess I never really thought you'd ever really settle down, you never seemed the type."

Elisa raised an eyebrow at Rayce as she said, "I once though the same thing, but now I can't imagine my life without him. And to answer your question, we tied the knot last Fall, and no kids yet, but I am almost two months pregnant."

"Wow, congratulations, Elisa," Rayce said with a reserved sigh, "That Detective Bluestone is a very lucky guy."

"Matt's not my husband, he's just my partner."

"Oh. Then who is he? Have I met him before?"

Elisa hesitantly said, "No, I don't think so, and he's a very private person, but his name is Keith Gregson."

Mentally, Elisa gave herself a pat on the back, but also wondered where she came up with a ridiculous sounding name.

"Pregnant, eh?" Rayce replied, "Well, I hope you and Keith are very happy together."

"Thanks, but what about you, didn't you find somebody special?"

"I dated, but nothing too serious. Even got married a couple times, divorced both times. Strangely enough, I got divorced around when that Long Winter ended, and I always saw it as a weird omen. But I guess it wasn't this, eh?"

"No, I suppose not."

Feeling an awkwardness growing Elisa told Rayce, "As 'interesting' as its been seeing you again, Rayce, I have to go."

"Sure, Elis, I'll see you around."

He made his way out of the captain's office, leaving a slightly bewildered Elisa thinking her love life just got a little more complicated.

Elisa made her way down the steps of the station with a slow pace, as though trying to delay returning to the castle to face Goliath again or trying to absorb what just happened inside.

Rayce had been the one Elisa truly loved, or she had once thought she did, and they could have been soul mates. Unfortunately, Rayce later showed an ugly side to himself that was often over possessive and chauvinistic, almost always telling her she should leave the more dangerous work to the men and she would be safer doing paperwork like a secretary, which she is now stuck doing because of her current condition. This thought made her growl in the back of her throat like a gargoyle as she felt hot with anger and frustration.

Rayce had promised he would try to change, try to be more open to her need for her own life and respectful of her independence because he loved her more than anything in the world. But he never did. It then came to pass they had ended their relationship at least three months before that fateful Autumn night David Xanatos' new castle in the clouds above was 'invaded.'

For a while Elisa wondered about what could have been, if Rayce could really have changed if he wanted to and they would not only have been a formidable team on the force, but in life as well like her own parents had been.

But she soon realized dwelling on the past did not help her heal and she could not be distracted from her duty as a police officer.

Even as she grew closer to Goliath over the years, she had promised herself she did not have time in her life for romance or a relationship, even though she sometimes daydreamed about a family and living in the suburbs like normal people.

Yet another lesson she came to learn over the years was that normalcy was so overrated.

As she opened her car door, a small wave of dizziness over took her for a moment, her vision swam in a clouded blur and her head ached liked being gripped in a crocodile's jaw ready to pop her head open. Elisa closed her eyes tight and pinched the bridge of her nose as she willed the dizzying sickness to go away.

"Are you alright, Miss?" asked a warm accented male voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks," Elisa as she looked up, "Oh, hi, Mr. Proselli."

Smiling at Elisa was an elderly man with a receding hair line yet his silver white hair was pulled back in a ponytail men one wore in the 18th century, he wore a charcoal business suit, a cream colored silk shirt, and a burgundy ascot, and his right hand rested on a polished wooden cane.

"Good evening, Detective Maza," he said with a warm smile, "Or perhaps I should say good morning, considering the lateness of the hour."

"True, and coincidentally I'm having an early morning sickness headache right now," Elisa joked half heartedly.

Alonso Proselli's eyebrows went up in surprise as he gasped, "Detective Maza, you're. . .?"

She nodded.

"Remarkable, it worked," Alonso whispered in astonishment to himself.

"What was that, Mr. Proselli?" Elisa asked.

"Nothing, Detective, just gladdened by your new blessing."

Elisa gave the old book shop keeper a look of suspicion, but decided to let it go. For the moment.

"So what brings you out here, Mr. Proselli?" she finally asked.

"If it were under more pleasant circumstances, I would say a late night stroll through the park. But alas, it is not to be so. Though my book shop weathered a break in by a gargoyle, it is now being invaded by hoodlums with. . . 'unusual' abilities, each time it gets a bit worse. I'm told the 23rd has the best officers in the city, as well as being the main office of the Gargoyles Task Force."

Elisa gave a bit of a nervous sigh as she said, "I can vouch for that, Mr. Proselli, though I'm sure New York's finest are all over, but I'd be careful about the GTF's leader, Detective Kowalski, if you're looking for police protection, so I recommend seeing my partner, Matthew Bluestone."

Alonso raised an eyebrow in momentary confusion, but chose to take it under advisement.

"Well, nonetheless, congratulations, Detective, you and your husband must be very proud."

"We are, but right now he's being a stubborn rock headed jerk about what he thinks is best for me and how I should be treated. He wants to hire this young doctor for us, but the guy he'll be employed by isn't someone I completely trust because he's hurt people I care about in the past, even though he's tried to make up for it in the last few years."

Alonso gave a sad look as he said with a deep experienced patience, "I am certain you have reason to not trust this man, and I know not the transgressions that past between you and he. Though I have known the folly of holding to a grudging vendetta to those who did me wrong in the long ago past. To have acted less than forgiving to them had been a saddening sight in my own daughter's eyes, being so innocent and young in age she proved wise beyond her years when she worded it to me so. I only advise you don't let your personal feelings come between you and your husband, or the needs of your child. I foolishly had done such a thing, and promised to myself and my daughter to never act in such a way again. If he only means good to repent for his past sins, he may well deserve the benefit of the doubt."

Elisa took Alonso's words in stride as she thought about all that Xanatos had done to help the clan in the last few years; vowing there were no more plots or strings attached when they once again relocated to the castle; improved the Labyrinth Clan's living conditions and finding a doctor to create a cure for the mutates' condition; even fighting side by side with the clan against the Quarrymen and the Unseelie Court. Now he was giving Elisa a home closer to the clan and a human doctor to help with her pregnancy.

Even though she had believed any of Xanatos' deeds to be nothing but empty promises, he filled them all so far to a T and then some.

Maybe she was the one being stubborn about it all.

Xanatos may no longer be the enemy, but she did not really need to like him, but neither did she need to hate him. Not anymore.

And Goliath, her wonderfully stubborn beloved Goliath. His faith and his patience had always been his greatest strength, a strength that their love had made them all the stronger together.

They always promised to protect each other, and he kept to that promise even now. She just could not see that.

"Maybe you're right," she finally said, "I've been through a lot lately, and I've just taken out my frustrations on others when I didn't mean to. I got to go talk to him, let him know I love him and not let this fight ruin everything we have."

"If you mean your husband, yes. I lost my wife in my own ambitions and came close again with losing my daughter. Don't let your frustrations do the same."

Elisa gave a smile as she got into her car, then rolled down the window to say, "Thanks for reminding me of second chances, I've known too many people who can't let the past go."

"I may be an old man, but I still believe that the world has good people in it and still filled with endless wonders of magic."

She then said good night before driving away into the concrete and glass jungle of the island city.

From a partially opened door from the stairway above, an overly curious Rayce Carlson watched what had just occurred. Any hope of reconnecting with Elisa was dashed, yet a base instinct told him to watch her carefully.


	3. Chapter 3

****Somewhere over Upper Manhattan

While Elisa had met with a few fellow officers at the police station the clan once lived above, two of its former inhabitants coursed through the canyons of the steel and glass spires of the iconic metropolis, challenging updrafts carried them on the wing who searched for any wrong doing against the human citizens of their fair city.

Yet for the lavender female Angela, her mind was elsewhere many blocks away and high above the city in a castle out of time.

Her patrol partner, Lexington, remained sharp eyed and focused as he easily rode the wind currents like a feather or leaf upon the wind, his sharp night vision searching below for any sign of threats.

"It's quiet down there," he whispered to himself like an iconic movie detective, "Too quiet."

"Hm, did you say something, Lex?" Angela asked coming out of her musing.

"I just said it's really quiet tonight," Lex said, "You okay, Ang? You seem a little distracted."

"I'm just worried about Broadway."

Lex gave a frown as he said, "Yeah, he's acting like a moping hatchling and it's getting old."

"I just wish I understood why so I could do something to help him."

"The way I understand it had something to do with using a gun, and I thought you were there at the time so you probably have a better idea about it than the rest of us."

"Maybe, but there is still much I don't understand."

Angela gave a quick recount of what happened a few weeks ago, her fights with other criminals while Broadway fought some sort of deadly spiked creature.

Lex gave a snicker as he said, "I'm sorry, it sounds like something out of a comic book."

"You all like comic books anyway, although I don't always understand why, even if much of the art work I find very colorful."

"Yeah, but that's beside the point. You know he accidently shot Elisa a few years back and it's why he doesn't like guns, it's still no excuse for him to keep acting all morose about it. I may not be mated, but I know enough to suggest you get tough with Broadway and tell him he isn't the only one being affect by this."

"Sata told me something similar earlier tonight, but if we were mated how would you want me to do it?"

This gave Lex a startle as he looked wide eyed at Angela to say, "I thought you had the whole lifemate thing figured out by now."

"Broadway and I have been mated over a year now, but I'm not an expert."

"Well, I want a mate to tell me when I'm being stupid and not afraid to tell me, even if I want to be stubborn about it, but also listens to me even if I whine and rant about it. I guess it comes with patience as well as tough love."

"I'm just afraid if I try being firm with Broadway, he'll just push me away more than he already has."

"Then he's an idiot, and forgets how lucky he is to have a great girl like you, Ang."

"Thanks for the advice, Lexington, you're a good friend."

Lex gave a big smile as he said, "No problem, Ang, just let me know if you ever need my help looking up stuff on the internet if you want to."

Angela gave a lady like giggle at Lex's ever constant interest with human machines, something she did not quite share his enthusiasm for yet still found great use for them on occasion.

Along with his brothers, Lexington dove right into quickly trying winning Angela's attention when she first arrived to join the clan in Manhattan, yet she somehow got a sense that while he felt some attraction to her, his heart may not have fully been in it and just went along with Brooklyn and Broadway. Angela could sympathize with the olive webbed wing, having he must have felt inferior to his bigger rookery brothers and overlooked like one of her smaller sized rookery siblings on Avalon.

After telling all three males to slow things down and let things happen as they may, she and Lex talked once in a while and soon realized they could only be good friends, yet Angela still hoped Lex will find a special mate some day.

She and the webbed wing shared a strong interest in exploring and knowing of a bigger world out there with so much more to offer, yet it more or less was limited to what they had else in common. Angela actually wanted to see and touch the world in person, not just look at it through a computer like only looking through a window with an endless horizon.

As their patrol continued, Angela eyed something she deemed truly peculiar to her sight, and said to Lexington,

"Now I'm certain that isn't normal, even for Manhattan."

"You're right about that, Ang, let's check it out."

"Only if you stop calling me Ang."

Lex could only roll his eyes as he said teasingly, "Well, I know you hated being called 'Angie', so I just shortened that."

Angela gave a chuckle as they dived down to investigate.

On the street below in an obscure back alley, two well dressed men and a rather brutish grayish yellow skinned spiked monster remorselessly rough housed a defenseless street urchin who seemed to put up a bold if futile fight.

"You gonna tell us or not, punk?" one called Big Mouth Bob demanded.

"Le' go o' me, ya bastards," AJ yelled defiantly, "I paid ya wha' I owed ya, wha' more do ya want?"

"Simply to know where you've been hidin' and where you're coming from, if you're not in jail like Frakie say you weres," the other man, called Sly Sid, said with a malevolent smile, "And if you're not gonna tell us, I'm sure we can have Mr. Marrow here be a little more persuasive. He's had quite an interestin' make over, as you can see, but I'm not sure how far it goes, but he breaks bones better than ever, like toothpicks, or he can pop your head off like a grape. So what's it gonna be, kid?"

AJ just wiped a drip of blood from his nose as he looked at his assailants with determination and spite. He was about to jump them with punches when someone shouted from above,

"Hey, leave that kid alone!"

Two winged gargoyles, a purple one and a brownish green one, landed near the well dressed men their monstrous accomplice, making the men draw out their custom made guns and the spiky brute give a deep rumbling growl.

"Not these freaks again!" snarled Big Mouth Bob, "When will you overgrown walking lawn ornaments learn to mind your own business?!"

"Bustin' up Dracon goons like you _is_ our business," Lex boldly shot back with glowing eyes.

"Take care of 'em guys," Bob ordered, "I'll keep our little friend here from running off."

Bob held his weapon at near point blank range at AJ, who glared at the mobster with narrowed eyes.

Sly Sid shot at Lex but the slug missed by only inches as Lex quickly did a side leap, bounced off a nearby alley wall and landed atop Sid to make him land hard enough on his back to knock him out cold for the next few minutes.

Marrow, the spiked brute, unsurprisingly went after Angela with a roar as he rumbled with a Neanderthal comprehension,

"You, purple girl from warehouse, with fat green one."

"You're the monster that almost killed my mate," Angela returned in recognition as Marrow tried to grab at Angela as he dashed across the alley to ensnare her in a bear hug grasp with over pumped arms, but she easily leaped back to shout out,

"Lex, that's the creature that fought Broadway!"

Having overpowered Sid, leaving the unconscious mobster with a few abrasions and deep scratches, the small webbed wing then rapidly made a high leap upon Marrow's thickly spiny back as the brute gave a punch at Angela to just leave a deep cracking fist mark, twice the size of a normal human hand, in the wall behind her as she leaned to her right.

Lex tried a hard double Karate chop at Marrow's neck, but the brute barely felt it and just shrugged it off, but it gave a painful sting in Lex's hands as he tried to shake it off.

Realizing something was on his back, Marrow gave a grunt as he tried to reach over himself to grab at Lex, but being of diminutive size the olive green gargoyle leaned easily away from Marrow's massive hands. Lex then slavered his pinky talons and stuck them into Marrow's ears as wet willies. The sickly yellow brute grunted in as Lex bantered,

"This is for Broadway, you freak!"

Marrow exclaimed in surprise at Lex's wet willy attack, and barely had time to think as he suddenly began hitting the side of Marrow's head where it was least spiked.

"Get off!" Marrow rumbled in a snarl as he struggled to grab at Lex and finally caught his belt and threw the small gargoyle into a pile of cardboard boxes.

Lex gave a short cry as he briefly sailed through the air, barely noticing the faint sound of ripping material.

Marrow tossed away a piece of brown cloth as he glared hatefully at Angela, but she just hissed like a bobcat at Marrow as she crouched for an attack.

The spiky brute gave a rumbling growl as he again began swinging deadly punches at Angela, which she was able to dodge then give her own series of punching jabs into Marrow's bare solar plexus, making him grunt more from surprise than pain.

Taking his eyes off of AJ, Big Mouth Bob became worried about the outcome of the fight with the gargoyles, especially with Sly Sid down from the start. It was just for a half a second, but it was enough for AJ to grab Bob's arm and begin struggling against the Dracon thug for possession of the weapon.

The gun went off with a loud bang, but luckily the bullet hit a thick skinned Marrow, for whom it only felt like an annoying mosquito bite. The spiny brute gave a snarl as he glared at the struggling Bob and AJ, then felt a strong right uppercut from Angela. Just for spite he back handed the lavender female, making her land hard against an alley wall, then noticed tatters of Angela's tunic hanging from his arm spikes, which he just discarded like Lex's ripped loincloth.

In the moments this took place, AJ was able to wrestle the gun away from Bob and punch him hard in the jaw to disorient him enough to start running out of the alley as he yelled,

"Thanks, hot stuff, I owe ya a date!"

While having nothing against gargoyles, he even tolerated the ones in the Labyrinth , he did not want to deal with the ones who worked for Xanatos.

Disappearing down a manhole nearby, AJ ran for what he knew to be a secret way to the Labyrinth.

Having momentarily recovered from AJ's punch, Bob shouted, "Mar, let's go, we don't have time to deal with those night freaks!"

"Kid?!" Marrow rumbled.

"We'll deal with him later!"

Marrow glared at the fallen Angela, then gathered the stirring Sid to then follow after Bob.

Rubbing her sore back as she tried to straighten herself up, Angela shook her head to clear away the fogginess swimming around her vision as she tried to call out for Lexington, her own voice barely audible in her ringing ears.

"Lex?" she called out faintly.

"I'm over here," he answered as he peeked out from behind the pile of cardboard boxes he had been thrown into.

"Are you alright?"

"Aside from a few bruises and having my loincloth ripped off, I'll be fine," he said with a tone of indignity as he held up two pieces of cardboard around his waist.

"Don't laugh," he warned to Angela as she tried to hold back a snicker.

Lex took a moment to examine the state of his tattered loincloth and saw no way to save it, so he used pieces of it to make a belt and hold up the cardboard around himself.

Looking at Angela he could not help but frown as he complained, "It's so unfair your clothes survived, but at least Brooklyn should have some fun teasing you."

Angela's tunic was now a ripped up two piece top and loincloth similar to her mother's outfit, enough to salvage.

"Let's return to the castle and see if we can find you some new clothes," she said as they climbed to a sufficient height for gliding, Angela took only a moment to look around the now deserted alley as though to catch a faint sign of the spiny brute, but he and the others were now long gone.


	4. Chapter 4

****Castle Wyvern

Angela and Lexington's early return from the night's second patrol was indeed met with great teasing amusement by some of the other clan members, but mostly for Lex's make shift cardboard loincloth, primarily by Brooklyn, rather than Angela's ripped up tunic into a two piece outfit.

Trying to hold onto whatever fleeting dignity he had remaining, Lex became flustered and more and more embarrassed as he searched anywhere he could for a new loincloth to wear, yet he only found discarded pants several sizes too big for him as well as being impractical for his wing structure.

Young Alexander could not help but give a kid's cackle when he saw his favorite gargoyle's clothing dilemma, but he was nice enough to help his gargoyle uncle. He used his magic for a simple transformation spell to turn the cardboard into first a cartoony leopard print loincloth with a strap over Lex's right shoulder, like a spoof of Tarzan; then into a little girl's cheerleading outfit, which Lex did not care for in the least with just a scowl at a giggling Alex; finally the young wizard changed his clothes into comfortable and flexible thigh high jeans with cuts up his legs for his wings and traditional belt and loincloth over the jeans with a big oval shaped belt buckle with an angled L inside like a lightning bolt.

Never before had Lex felt so stylish and hip in this modern world, but like everyone else in the clan he wore his old standard loincloth more for comfort and modesty rather than fashion. Yet now, like with his enthusiasm for 21st century technology, he was beginning to see what the craze with fashion may be all about.

As for Angela, she felt a bit torn with having to find Broadway and trying to reconcile with him or not. She took a moment to then decide to return to her private tower to try to repair her clothes when she just happened to come across Desdemona.

"Hello, Desdemona," Angela politely greeted the older female.

"Greetings, Angela," Desdemona retuned, "How fair you this night?" she then took a quick once over of Angela's clothing, "From the state of your garments, I'd say patrol for you went unexpectedly awry."

"In a way, yes, but I'm okay. You should've seen poor Lexington, though."

"Indeed, I have," Desdemona said while trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile from her beautiful golden tan face.

"May I ask you something, Desdemona?"

"Of course, rookery daughter, what do you wish to know?"

Angela looked hesitant for a moment, then simply asked, "When Othello, or any male for that matter, seems to distance himself from his mate, how am I to help or support him if he just ignores me?"

Desdemona smiled as she gave a sigh and said, "Most males, human or gargoyle, have this foolish notion of thinking they need to deal with troubles on their own, and asking for help is a weakness that's offensive to their masculinity. That is why we, as lifemates, every now and then need to remind them that we are their equals and they need not face their troubles alone, even at the risk of exchanging hurtful words."

"You're right, Desdemona, and so are Lex and Sata. I need to face Broadway about this, even if it means widening a rift between us. He's had enough time wallowing in self pity about this and I'm the only one who can force him out of it."

Desdemona smiled again as she said, "Every relationship has a risk of confrontation, but when the love between you is strong enough, the reward is made all the grander."

"Thank you, Desdemona. I'm going to find him right now and tell him how important he is to me, and the clan. And I think I know where he is."

Angela made her way into the ancient halls of the slate grey castle, Desdemona looking on with hope for Angela that she would be able to bring her lifemate out of his continuous wallowing.

In the main kitchens of the palatial Medieval castle, a more tubby than burly aquamarine colored gargoyle removed a piece of large chocolate cake, possibly a remnant of a large delectable version from one of the Xanatos family's elaborate private parties. Before he even closed the chilling fridge's large door, a female voice said with a firm tone as though talking to a naughty hatchling caught red handed,

"Put it down, Broadway."

Looking at the doorway startled, Broadway saw Angela with her slender but muscular arms across her chest and a look of dead seriousness upon her beautiful lavender face.

"Angela, I was just . . ." Broadway began stammering, but Angela just repeated with her same firm tone,

"I said put it back."

Broadway slowly returned the rich chocolate piece of cake to its former place in the fridge while he gave Angela a shameful guilty look.

"We need to talk now, it's been avoided long enough," she said with a no nonsense tone as she took Broadway's hand and sat him at a side kitchen table in a comfortable alcove where servants may have once used for dining.

A tangible feeling of discomfort washed over Broadway as he took a seat in a sturdy hand carved oak chair next to his lavender lifemate and said,

"Okay, Angela, what do you want to talk about?"

Angela gave him a patient but stern look as she said, "I believe you know what we need to discuss, Broadway, your continuous moping about the castle in self pity wallowing like a timid frightened hatchling. I want to know what's really been bothering you these last several weeks, and I don't want to hear any excuses."

Broadway could see she was serious, but he only remain speechless for some pregnant moments as he tried to get his brain to put words to his lips for some sort of answer, yet all he seemed able to say were a few small pitiful words.

"I used a gun," he mumbled.

"I know that," Angela said with firm patience, "But I know there's more, and I want you to tell me what it is."

Broadway only looked away in shame as he mumbled, "If I told you, you'd hate me for it."

Angela's expression softened in sympathy for her lifemate, she gently placed her hand onto his cheek and whispered with only loving patience, "I could never hate you, Broadway, never think that."

Looking deep into her dark eyes, Broadway saw the beautiful young gargess he had fallen in love with and who returned it many times over.

Somehow, with just that look he felt as though something he thought he had lost was now returning to him with renewed strength.

He gave a deep sigh as he mustered some strength and courage as he began to say,

"Years ago I promised to never carelessly use a gun again, because I know now how dangerous they are. But that night, when we tried to stop those mobsters' fighting over the drugs and that spiky creature beat me up, I grabbed one and shot someone. Now thanks to me, a human is dead because I carelessly shot him, even if he was a criminal."

Angela gave her aqua lifemate a look of empathy, beginning to see how hard this must have been for him over the last three or so weeks.

"I can see there may be more, so go on, My Love," she quietly encouraged.

Broadway seemed a bit unsure of how to word what he had been going through and could only say, "What's more to say, isn't it obvious I'm a screw up?"

She just gave him a dirty dissatisfied look and said, "Never talk about what you know to be untrue about yourself, Broadway, save for the last few weeks of your languid behavior, you are a great warrior and a good person who's always been a great asset to this clan. Why would you think such an awful thought?"

Broadway remained silent again for another long minute before finally saying, "I did something I swore never to do again, and someone's dead now because of me. I did something stupid, and you got hurt because of me and who's to say I won't do it again, and next time it could be worse. I'm not a protector, I'm a murderer and a failure because I failed to protect you, Angela. I'm not worthy of being your lifemate, I don't deserve you. You deserve so much better than a pathetic tub of lard like me."

"Now you stop right there," Angela snapped and pointed an accusatory finger at him, "You aren't a pathetic tub of lard and you are not a failure. You're the bravest most caring male I've ever met, and it's why I love you. You made a simple mistake and it's time you stopped beating yourself up over it."

"But you got hurt because of me," he said with guilt, "I thought you'd never want to speak to me again."

She put her hand on his cheek again in a gentle caress as she gently smiled at him to say,

"We protect this city, Broadway, and yes there's always a chance of someone getting hurt, but I'll never cease speaking to you or loving you for it. We're bound to have problems, but we face them more strongly when we're together. So please stop pushing we away, My Love, and let me help you."

Broadway held Angela's hand at his chubby cheek and gave a small smile saying in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Angela, I just don't know what to do since I shot someone. I just keep going over it in my head, I could've done something different, but that monster was as strong as me, maybe even Goliath, and I thought I was dead. I know I should've fought harder, but I just gave up too soon. What kind of gargoyle does that make me?"

"One who has the strength to admit his mistakes instead of letting it consume him with guilt. And I know battling that creature was not easy for you, My Beloved, having fought him off myself tonight, you had to have been pushed to your limits, so you have nothing to be guilty of."

"What?" gasped a surprised Broadway as he now took better note of Angela's torn clothing and scratched and bruised body, "That monster hurt you!? Where, when? I'll. . ."

"It doesn't matter right now," Angela hushed her aqua lifemate, "I'm fine. Come with me."

Angela rose herself and her mate from their seats, then began walking with him through the castle halls which now seemed to have a warmer feeling to their presence than had been felt moments before.

"Where are we going?" Broadway asked.

"To the library to remind you who you really are, and to start helping you to lose a little weight so you no longer drown your sorrows in food. That's what I'm for," she said with a grin.

Broadway suddenly got a goofy grin on his face as he was lead to the library by Angela, who he suddenly once again found to be extremely desirable and very alluring in feminine mystique and scantily clad torn two piece outfit.

He would have ask how it happened, along with her many small wounds, but decided to ask later.

For now, all they needed was each other to begin the healing process in Broadway's soul.


	5. Chapter 5

A short while later that same night, Elisa returned to the castle with a solemn look on her coppery features, her thoughts heavily occupied with what and how to tell Goliath she had a surprise run in with her ex-boyfriend. He was able to amusedly look past a young adolescent boy's crush, but this was completely different. She was greatly aware of her lifemate's past love life, and he even respected her wish to not talk about her own. Yet, as what with has been happening much of late, the past has come back to haunt the present.

As she made her way through the hallway to the library, the ever stiff figure of Owen Burnett happened to pass by and said to Elisa in his well known monotone,

"Good evening, Detective Maza. If you happen to be on your way towards the library, I advise putting it off for the time being as it is currently occupied by Miss Angela and her significant other."

"Oh," Elisa breathed in understanding, "Thanks, Owen, have you at least seen _my_ significant other?"

"I believe Goliath has just returned from a short patrol with Othello and said something about visiting your new living quarters. Now if you'll excuse me, Detective, I have duties that need tending to."

The majordomo then made his way down the stone grey corridor in his ever brisk manner as Elisa then went in the opposite direction towards the west wing of the castle nearest the clan's roosting watchtower.

She found Goliath standing in the middle of a large wing almost as big as her current apartment with deep blue grey plush carpeting, and it was just the bedroom with an as yet unmade deeply polished dark umber four poster oak bed facing an open glass French door balcony with a marvelous view of the city sure to inspire awe any time of the day, especially with a perfect view of Sunset while facing the Western horizon.

For a micro second, the room seemed as empty as any of the promises Xanatos made or even kept in the last three years, and yet seeing Goliath stand there smiling lovingly at her as he saw her walk through the door, a strange yet warm feeling over took Elisa that she never thought she could feel within the walls of the Medieval castle; she was home.

"Hey, Big Guy," she said as Goliath opened his well sculpted arms to embrace her, which she gratefully returned, "I'm sorry about earlier, it's these stupid mood swings. They cloud my judgment and I don't think clearly, I get all emotional. . ."

Goliath halted her speech with a gentle touch of his talons to her soft lips as he softly rumbled, "I know, my precious Elisa, it is nothing to apologize for."

For several long moments they just embraced each other, drawing in the strength and warmth of each other's presence to be more than the sum of their parts.

Elisa reluctantly loosened her hold on her gentle giant lifemate as she said, "I still need to talk to you about something."

After she quickly told Goliath about her run in with her ex-boyfriend, she was unsurprised by, yet still worried about the expression of jealousy and heated anger coloring the lavender giant's face. A young man's crush was one thing, this was different.

Yet with disciplined control of his emotions, Goliath asked with a serious tone, "What have you told this Rayce Carlson?"

"That I'm happily married with a kid on the way and he doesn't have a chance in hell with me anymore," Elisa said with a bit of humor, which made both of them feel a little bit better which showed with a small smile upon Goliath's strong features.

"I will understand if you do not wish to speak of this Elisa," Goliath said, "But why did you and he terminate your courtship?"

Elisa gave a heavy sigh, having known a moment like this would come but she had hoped to avoid it all the same.

"You know I respect your need to never talk about Demona," she said, Goliath gave a nod, "So you might as well know a little about why I never talk about my last boyfriend."

She gave him the long and short of it the best she could about Rayce, seeing that it took a lot for Goliath to control his emotions with low growls and tight fists at how his beloved Elisa was treated by her previous suitor. Finally she concluded,

"I no longer believed any of the empty promises he made or couldn't keep, so we broke up about three months before I met you or the clan, and since then I threw myself into my work convinced I had no time for the luxury of an intimate relationship."

Goliath took some moments to bring his emotions under control and compose himself, before he finally placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he said with a reassuring tone, "I believe I understand, Elisa, you feel my treatment of you of late is what this Carlson expected, when I only wish to keep you safe and well. But I would never want to deprave you of your need to protect Manhattan any more than I could, for we have both vowed to always protect together."

Elisa smiled up at her husband as she said, "I know, it just hasn't been easy, and possibly never will. It's our first baby together and you're just trying to do your fatherly duties."

"They are duties I must be responsible for as a leader as well as for all females in the clan who are expecting, for a clan's future is always secure in strong healthy hatchlings."

He embraced her once more, knowing it to be the truth. Yet there was more.

Ever since Elisa had told him she was pregnant, he wanted to tell her of his encounter with their grown time traveling daughter from the future, and he was only trying to keep a vow he had made to her shortly before she returned to her own time.

Yet he had no way of knowing if she will be their only child, one of several, or the only success of many failed attempts.

Whatever the future held for them, he will always keep his vows to first protect Elisa and in turn protect their child, something he knew she understood no matter how difficult she might get on occasion.

Looking up at Goliath, Elisa said with some reluctance, "I guess it's okay to have Xanatos go ahead with the interview of this Dr. Yoshiba. Might as well get it out of the way."

"Indeed, my Elisa."

They melted into each other's arms as they kissed, Goliath's great stormy colored wings enwrapped around them as a comforting safe cocoon.

* * *

Walking with a satisfied strut in her step, Elisa had lost track of where she had been going until she nearly ran into a disheveled Angela. Her face was flushed while she tried to straighten out her cloths, a strap hung from slender muscular shoulder from her sagged top, her belt was coming lose to nearly make her loincloth slip way down her hips, and the dark hair of her ponytail was coming loose in a wild mess.

"Oh, hey, Angela," Elisa said, "Whoa, what happened to you? You look like you were attacked by a wild animal."

"I was," she said with a smug smile, making Elisa smile too.

"I'm glad I found you, Angela. I have to ask how your research is going."

Angela looked taken about for a moment before remembering what Elisa was asking about.

"I'm sorry, Elisa," she said, "But I've just been so worried about Broadway lately I haven't gotten very far with finding out if magic was involved in allowing you and Father to have a baby. I also don't know nearly as much magic as my mother does."

Elisa gave the young female a look of sympathy as she placed a hand on Angela's shoulder. They began walking companionably down the stone hallway as Elisa said,

"It's okay, Angela, these last few weeks have been pretty hard on the clan, not just for Broadway, but for Brooklyn and Lex, too, their run in with those vampires and almost loosing Ariana and Graeme, and Hudson facing against the Creeper. Not to mention all the trouble with Thailog and his thugs and this crime war spreading across the city. I'm a little worried that just as things start looking up for all of us our enemies return and multiply just to give us all misery."

"It certainly seems that way, Elisa. But Broadway always tells me it won't always be like that, and things will get better even if it doesn't seem like it now."

"And what do you think now?"

With a smile as bright as the Sun on a Summer day, Angela said with hope, "Now that I've started to help remind Broadway of that, I'm certain of it. But I do know the road will be difficult and full of obstacles, but I will never lose faith that the world still has good in it and so much to offer."

"You got that right, kiddo," Elisa smiled.

Angela became a bit more serious as she then said, "There might be one thing I can tell you about magic, Elisa. It may be that a form of prolonged exposure may have had allowed for your conception."

"I thought as much," Elisa said with a sigh.

"However, when my mind wasn't burdened with worrying about Broadway or other worrisome thoughts, I had found that depending on the complexity of a spell, its mystic strength, and original intent, magic can often weaken or ware off over a short time, particularly with the rising of the Sun at each new dawn. It's supposed to be something like renewal with the pure light of a new Sunrise if not the triumph of light over darkness."

"I'm not sure that makes sense," said a confused Elisa, "Because from I've understood about magic, it can last for centuries if not longer, like with the sleep spell."

"True, Elisa," Angela continued, "But I at least can say that for such a thing to happen, the spell had to have been cast recently, maybe even before the conception. I'm sorry, Elisa, but it's all I know until I do more research. All the magic my mother taught me was mostly defensive or attack spells during the Unseelie War. If only I knew what happened to her she might be able to help us."

For some reason, this made Elisa freeze in place for a moment before she began to say with some hesitation,

"Actually, Angela, I may have some idea of that."

The ebony haired police woman removed a white business card from her red bomber jacket as she said,

"I ran into her some time ago right after I discovered I was pregnant. I can't say much other than she was in disguise and didn't want her cover blown, so I respected that. She gave this to me and what I think is a spell to it. She said I would know what to do with it when the time came. Now I think it was somehow meant for you."

Angela gingerly took the white card between her talons in astonishment, barely touching it as though it would be damaged by the lightest touch like delicate rice paper. She then tightly hugged Elisa in a bear hug as she said with controlled tears,

"Thank you, Elisa, I hope you know what this means to me."

"I do, Sweetie, but you're crushing my ribs," Elisa gasped, making Angela release her in embarrassed apologies.

Elisa then told Angela the strange spell Demona had told her, which made the young gargoyle give a confused look.

"Thanks again, Elisa. Dawn is just a couple of hours away, so I could spend some time studying this and doing some more research."

"You do that, Sweetie, I'll see you a little later. Oh, I almost forgot, Demona told me to tell you one more thing."

Angela stood still as she waited to listen to Elisa with anticipation.

"She said she hoped to see you again soon and that she's proud of you. And so am I."

Angela gave her second biggest smile of the night, a feeling of hope washed over her as she thanked Elisa one last time and she headed for her private tower to continue her magical studies, thoughts of her lifemate and mother now filled her heart with hope and joy instead of sorrow.

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, within Xanatos' private office the wealthy philanthropist clicked a nearby button to deactivate something as he shook hands with a distinguished looking young man of Far Eastern features and horn rimmed glasses.

"I'm not sure I feel right about this, Mr. Xanatos," the young doctor said, "Why not just tell the gargoyles you already hired me if we have to go through with recording this second interview?"

"Because the last time I just hired a physician for them, it didn't work out so well, and they can get very agitated when I do something without their knowing, especially their leader who at times has trouble trusting me, even if it's for their benefit as well as mine. And if Goliath thinks he has made the final say in it, it puts his mind at ease and in the end everybody wins. Goliath has a human doctor as well as a gargoyle healer for his clan, you get a career that's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I repay my debt to Goliath a little more that may never be completed."

"You owe a lot to them, don't you, Mr. Xanatos," Dr. Yoshiba said in understanding.

"More than you could ever know," Xanatos said with a contemplative far off look on his handsome features.

His mind wandered for a second or two to the many people whose lives he had ruined just to get where he is now, and how it all lead to him redefining 'what having it all' really meant with regards to family, especially with one young man currently living in the Labyrinth.

Xanatos quickly took himself out of his deep thinking as he rose from behind his desk to shake the young doctor's hand while saying,

"Welcome aboard, Dr. Yoshiba. I'll see you here tomorrow night to meet your new clients."

Dr. Yoshiba thanked Xanatos, then left with an excited smile upon his youthful face as he said good-bye.

End of Episode 13.


End file.
